Buzz, buzz, buzz. What’s that sound? Oh yes, it’s the sound of the Yellowjackets hive rising from the ground. We won’t see Yellowjackets season two until 2023, a little later than we’d hoped, it sounds like progress for the next season of the hit series is going well. So well that we have our first exciting bits of Yellowjackets season two casting news. We now know who will play the adult counterparts of some of our favorite characters in the show’s next outing.
Here’s everything else we know about the cast.
Skip to: Elijah Wood on Yellowjackets // Adult Lottie // Adult Van // Other Season Two Cast
Elijah Wood Will Play a Character Named Walter
According to Entertainment Weekly, Elijah Wood will join the cast of Yellowjackets season two. He will play a character named Walter, “whose arc will intertwine with Misty (Christina Ricci) in significant ways.” That’s an intriguing prospect, given how season one ended.
They go on to say he’ll be “a dedicated Citizen Detective who will challenge Misty in ways she won’t see coming.”
Adult Lottie Will Be Played By Simone Kessell
Bow down to your antler queen. Adult Lottie will be played by Simone Kessell in Yellowjackets season two. When we last saw Lottie in the past timeline, she was assuming her rightful place as the ruler of the forest, otherwise known as the Antler Queen. As things began to turn dark for our survivors, Lottie placed herself in charge, insisting there were magical powers in play in the wilderness.
We didn’t see the adult version of Lottie in the future timeline, but we saw her crew of minions kidnapping Natalie to the dulcet sounds of “Who the fuck is Lottie Matthews?” And now we know we’ll definitely see her in season two.
Simone Kessell most recently appeared on Obi-Wan Kenobi playing Breha Organa. But we can’t wait to see her take on the adult version of our bloodthirsty queen, a much different kind of role. And we can’t wait to see more of Courtney Eaton’s Lottie either. Eaton has become a series regular.
Adult Van Will Be Played By Lauren Ambrose
Meanwhile, Six Feet Under and Servant‘s Lauren Ambrose will play the grown-up version of Van in Yellowjackets season two.
This is really fun news because one of the best parts about Yellowjackets is seeing how the older and the younger versions of the characters exist in the world. And Lauren Ambrose absolutely fits the bill for Yellowjackets‘ adult Van. In fact, Ambrose was a favorite to play Van’s older self here at Nerdist. She’ll make for the perfect addition to our cast of adult survivors, which includes Melanie Lynskey, Christina Ricci, Juliette Lewis, and Tawney Cypress. Both Vans, the newly-cast Lauren Ambrose and the returning Liv Hewson, will be series regulars in Yellowjackets season two.
Most recently, we got our first look at Lauren Ambrose playing adult Van in Yellowjackets season two.
Van has a special place in our hearts. Her romance with Taissa was one of the absolute best parts of Yellowjackets. Toward the end of the first season of Yellowjackets, though, Van defected from team “there’s a rational explanation for all of this” to team “magic forces are at work.” And honestly, that’s the better team, but it might put a crack in the pair. When we last saw Van, she was kneeling behind her Antler Queen Lottie, some might say, like a knight.
Of course, Van’s casting as an adult is technically a spoiler that Van survived the team’s time in the wilderness. But it doesn’t tell us anything about what she’s up to. Our bet? She’s currently involved with Lottie’s cult of white-clothed henchmen who bear the sign of the Antler Queen. Maybe she’s even second in command. We honestly would root for a Lottie and Van adult romance.
Yellowjackets Season Two Casting News
We can’t wait to hear more Yellowjackets season two casting news soon. According to The Hollywood Reporter, showrunner Ashley Lyle shared, “In terms of other survivors, we plant the flag that Lottie is lurking in the shadows and meeting her in the near future. Ideally, we will probably meet at least one other.” Additionally, adult Ali will also be a part of the season.
Yellowjackets season two has revealed that Nuha Jes Izman has joined the cast of the show. Izman “will play Crystal, a member of the JV squad and a hardcore theater enthusiast, who makes the dubious decision to bond with Misty.” We really hope Crystal knows what she’s doing.
Variety also reports that Jason Ritter, Melanie Lynskey’s husband, will guest star on an episode of the show. Hopefully, Shauna doesn’t end up stabbing him. Additionally, Nicole Maines, François Arnaud, and Nia Sondaya have joined the cast. Sondaya will replace Keeya King in the role of Teen Akilah in a recasting of the character. Maines will play Lisa, “an associate of Adult Lottie (Simone Kissell), who is trying to recover from past trauma.” Finally, Arnaud joins as Paul. “His character is described as “a New York writer and secret boyfriend of Coach Scott (Steven Kreuger) who reminds Coach Scott of what might have been.”
Finally, Kevin Alves who plays Travis Martinez on the show, will be a season two regular.
Season two of Yellowjackets premieres on March 24, 2023. Happily, the show has already been renewed for season three.
Originally published on August 11, 2022.
